Canadian astronaut prepares for International Space Station mission

Astronaut from Alberta is 1 of 4 members assigned to NASA's SpaceX Crew 13 mission

Growing up on a cattle farm in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., Joshua Kutryk says he dreamt of going to space though he never thought it would happen.

But a few months after Artemis II's lunar flyby, the 44-year-old is preparing for a mission to the International Space Station that could lead to medical breakthroughs.

Kutryk is one of four members assigned to NASA's SpaceX Crew 13 mission.

He will join NASA's Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. Watkins will be returning to the space station for the second time.

The crew will spend six months at the station to conduct experiments and maintenance work.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the crew is expected to take off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 12.

“There's something really unique and really special about being involved as a Canadian,” said Kutryk.

“There is something very special about Canada's space program and how much we do with it.”

The mission includes Canadian-led studies on how space travel and microgravity can affect human health.

According to Kutryk, much of the Canadian-sponsored science could have practical applications for future space exploration. But he added some of those studies will be able to advance medicine on Earth.

The experiments could help develop treatments for heart disease or osteoporosis as radiation and microgravity affect cardiovascular health and bone density, Kutryk explained.

It can be efficient to conduct medical studies in space since the body ages faster in that environment, he added during a press briefing.

“They're using the space environment and my body as the sample case to study problems that all humans eventually encounter here on Earth,” Kutryk said.

Mathieu Caron, director of the astronauts' office at the Canadian Space Agency, said space life sciences “has become a niche for Canada.”

WATCH | Meet Joshua Kutryk:The crew will also conduct maintenance work on the station, including the Canadian-made servicing system, nicknamed Canadarm2.

Kutryk will bring his expertise in robotics on board, said Caron.

Kutryk is the fourth Canadian to take part in a long-duration mission to the International Space Station.

Montreal-based space educator Trevor Kjorlien said that with NASA planning to decommission the station in 2030, Kutryk may be the last Canadian to live on the station.

“I think it's a prime opportunity over the next six months after he launches for many Canadians to be able to see [the station], because it'll probably be the last time they see it with a Canadian on board,” he said.

But Kutryk said he hopes that both the recent Artemis II and the future Crew 13's missions will be a source of inspiration for young Canadians in technical fields. He said Canada has been at the forefront of space exploration with NASA by participating in both missions.

“I hope that when young people look at that, they realize that we're at a truly defining moment,” he said.

“The future of space flight for Canada is very, very bright if you choose it to be so. There are going to be a lot of opportunities for future Canadian astronauts, engineers, scientists — more than there was for me growing up.”

After spending years physically and mentally preparing for the mission, Kutryk and his crew said they're ready to take off in just a few weeks.